Maine, USA 2008-2009

During the 2008-2009 school year, international students Alexander Szeps of Sweden and Peter Krause-Kjaer of Denmark will live in Rumford, Maine USA in the home of Rich Kent. Stay tuned for Alexander and Peter's excellent adventure in the wild woods of Maine.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The family guitar leans against the Victorian couch in the fireplace room. The songs of the past ten months call out from Youtube and echo in our memories. The TV is off and the deep-throaty laugh that cut through the quiet for month upon month is silent. The washing machine whines away in the basement while upstairs two empty beds hug the walls of the front bedroom. In the center of my chest there's a small ache like hunger; I am not alone with that feeling here in the River Valley. The boys have headed home.

The difference? Now Alex and Peter have two sets of friends, two hometowns, two families, two homes... and in a real way, two countries.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Forty kids and ten adult friends gathered at The Kent House on Prospect Avenue for a three-hour Open House celebrating Alex & Peter's stay in America.

Thanks to our friend & neighbor, Kate Clough, for serving as Official Party Photographer. Thanks to our friend Gayle for baking her face off in support of our sugar habits! Peter's friend Kathleen brought a chocolate brownie delight made by her mom that sent most of us into never-never land. And Aunt Connie whipped up a magical Chocolate dish that Peter and I finished off for lunch today.

The boys were showered with cards, kind words, and tears. Alex sang with his guitarist friend Paul while Peter held up in the sports room challenging friend after friend to matches of foosball.

Special thanks to Anne Wood (we missed you, Betty), Jerry Cohen (we missed you, Jennifer), Mrs. Judy Kuhn, Deb and Chris Carver & kids, Uncle Ben, and Pam & Fred Kent for finding their way up to the house after a busy work day to celebrate these two remarkable young men.

Alex and Peter, we're not saying farewell, we're saying "See you soon." You always have a home in Maine.

GOOMHN YLHD

(a message from Rich to the boys)

––Mette, Marie, Niels, & Michael, you're just going to have to figure this one out for yourselves! ;-)

The boys sporting their new hats, gifts from Connie & Ben. Alex's is an official Boston Red Sox hat; and Peter's, well scroll down. They also received "Rumford" road signs for their bedroom walls at their "other" homes.

Oh, Peter's Dink t-shirt ("dink" is a Maine term for... well, can probably guess) was a Christmas present from Rich.

Helpful Websites

Alexander...

...from Bromma, a borough of Stockholm, Sweden. Alex plays guitar and is learning the piano and the ukulele. He's also a soccer player. (Some photos are hyperlinked)

Peter...

...from the city of Aarhus, Denmark. He's a passionate fan of music, including Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, and the Danish reggae band, BliGlad. Peter is also into politics and is a supporter of Barack Obama whom he heard speak in Berlin in mid-July.

Their host....

Rich Kent of Rumford, Maine USA

... his day job

Rumford home

Alexander and Peter's American home... Built in 1906, Rich's home has been a training center and home-base for many athletes over the years. The local ski area, Black Mountain of Maine, hosts many large-scale Nordic ski events. 728 Prospect Avenue in Rumford welcomes all!

...and Lake Webb.

The Kent Family's lake cabins are on Lake Webb.... Here's a late July evening on Burt's Point, Webb Lake, Weld, Maine, USA

Rich's grandparents (F. Allen & Leila Shaw Burt) from Boston came to Lake Webb in the 1920s. Since that time, the Kent family has come to Weld for summer holidays. All of the Kents grew up on the lake during the summer time.

Lake Webb Family Cabins....

The Edwards' Camp is named after our long-time friends, Jane and Bob Edwards.

The Kent Camp--built in the 1940s by our grandparents for the Kent Family.

The Little House, the first cabin built in the 1920s. It's winterized and makes for a great ice fishing, snowmobile, and ski house....

The Kent brothers @ Weld

Every summer the Kents gather in Weld on Lake Webb.

Our favorite sister Barbara and husband Ken, also known as Mr. President....